Improvement in stringing devices for piano-fortes



H. H. MORSE.

Stringing Devices for Piano-Fortes, &c.

N0.i50,700, PaientedMayi2.i874.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT H. MORSE, OF BRATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN STRINGING DEVICES FOR PIANO-FORTES, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,700, dated May 12,1874; application filed April l, 1874.

To all whom 'it may concern.:

Beit known that I, HERBERT Il. MonsE, of Brattleborough, of the countyof Vindhain and State ot' Vermont, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Mechanism for Supporting and Timing the Strings of Piano-Fortes or various other Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare thesaine to be fully described in the 'ollowin g specilication andrepresented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l denotes atop view, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, ofa string and its adjuncts, to be hereinafter explained.

By 1ny invention a piano can be tuned up to concert7 or any requiredpitch with little danger of soon relapsing therefrom. In gen-A eral,after a piano may have been in use for a 'f'ew years it will be founddiftlcnlt to keep it in tune unless it be tuned below coneertpiteh 5 butwith in v means oi' sustaining and straining each. string, the chance ofit continuing in tune is very much increased, it not rendered certain.

In thel drawings, the string is represented at A, it being, at or nearthe bridge end of it, secured to a straining-pin, B, prisinatie abovethe string frame or board O, as shown, and extended through a bracket,D, formed and fixed thereto. A wedge or key, o, driven into the pin-holeof the bracket serves to prevent the pin from revolving after it mayhave been turned sulliciently to wind the string upon it. The stringgoes through a hole, I), made laterally through the pin. At its oppositeend the string A is secured, as shown, to a lever, E. This lever, at itsinner end, is pivoted to a bridge or post, F, over and upon whose topthe string extends and rests, it being, if desir able, first carriedthrough a hook or pin, G, inserted in the string frame and near the postF. A screw, II, provided with a pyramidal head, c, goes down through thelever E and screws into the string-frame, the shonl.A der of the headresting on the lever. The lever and the screw serve as a means of tuningthe string. By the pin B the string may be rst set up or strainedapproximately to the right pitch, after which the wedge is to be drivenby the side of the pin. and into its hole in the bracket, the wedgeserving to prevent the pin from revolving' in the bracket.

By applying a tuning-key to 'the head of the screw II and turning it,the lever E may be depressed very gradually until the string may bebrought to the correct pitch.

Instead of the bracket, the wedge, and the straining-pin B, a commonhitch-pin may be used t-o fasten the string, the post F, the lever E,and the screw II being employed to ei'ect the straining of it. I prefer,however, to have the d nplcX straining apparatus as hercinbetoredescribed, using the lever and screw only as means of completing thestrainin gof the string after it may have been partially strained by thepill B, used as described.

I claim as my invention in piano-fortes or stringed instrui'nents asfollows, viz:

The rotary straining-pin B, and the bracket D and wedge a, incombination with the string A and the part F, thelever E, and the screwII, arranged with and applied to it, all substantially as specified.

HERBERT II. MORSE.

Witnesses O. F. BAILEY, WM. O. HoRToN.

